Catch for drawers, doors, and the like



Dec. 6, 1949 F. M. JAcoBsoN 2,490,060

CATCH FOR DRIAWERS, DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed May 21', 1946 :1:1 l--l ffy:rE- E Z8 2"@ m W20 ya 12 J3 fei Jacoson,

Patented Dec. 6, 1 949 UNITED STATES PAT OFFICE CATCH FOR DRAWERS,DOORS, AND THE LIKE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to catches for sliding drawers, doors and othermoving objects to hold them yieldingly at a closed position, andparticularly to a catch adapted for use on drawers and cabinet doors,but also applicable to use on other doors, slides and other movingelements.

It is a special object to present a catch of novel construction, adaptedto function effectively, and which will be strong and liable in aminimum degree to deterioration by wear and hard use.

It is also an important aim to offer such a device which may beassembled With a minimum number of fastenings, and the operative partsof which may be assembled and removed Without the use of special tools.

Another important object of the invention is to present a novelconstruction of strike or keeper for such devices. A still further aimis to give a novel construction of case for the latch. A further purposeis to disclose a novel assembly of spring pressed latch in whichfriction and binding action of the parts is greatly reduced.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in theembodiment of the invention, and will be understood from the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure l is a side elevation of the catch and keeper installed upon asliding drawer, a portion of cabinet being shown,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, in section.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing the catch and keeperparts engaged.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a Vertical section on the line 6 6 of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view illustrating themounting of the plunger and spring of the catch.

There is illustrated a portion of a cabinet frame I0, slidably mountinga drawer II. The keeper I2 of my device is mounted on the base I3 of thecabinet inwardly of the rear wall I3. It consists of a simple strip ofsheet metal having a planiform shank portion I4 and a right angularextension upwardly curved to form a keeper body I5. The shank I4 isapertured to receive an attaching screw I6, the shank being secured iiatagainst the base. Each edge of the shank is provided with a surfacepenetrating spur I'I which are driven into the base I3, and by the usethereof, a single screw effects the mounting of the keeper.

The catch assembly consists of a case I8 formed of a single blank ofsheet metal bent on parallel lines to form a yplaniform cover wall I9,parallel side walls 20 at right angles to the wall I9, and foot flanges2l, consisting of outturned portions of the material at the outer edgesof the walls 20, these anges being in a plane parallel to the coverwall, and being longitudinally slotted at 22 to receive fastening screws23 by which the device is secured to the rear wall of a drawer or otherstructure. This mounting permits relative adjustment of the catchassembly toward or away from the keeper. The outer portions of the walls20 and the cover wall I9 are cut away as at 24, so that the side wallsextend beyond the cover wall a distance. The side walls 2D are eachprovided with an inwardly struck ear 25, serving as a fulcrum pivot fora catch dog or lever 25. This lever is peculiarly formed for novelfunctions which it performs, and may be either cast, cut from blockstock or stamped from thick metal, although it may be made thinner thanin the specified embodiment if desired, to facilitate stamping. It isformed with an inner arm 2l and an outer arm 2B, the extremities ofwhich are spaced apart slightly greater than the width of the keeper I5,the arms being extended at their extremities for a distance so that abight space 29 is formed therebetween into which a part of the keeper I5may be received. The pivot of the lever is located close to the base ofthe arm 2l, so that for a given movement of the lever, the arm. 28 movesa much greater distance than the arm 2l. The pivoting of the lever onthe ears 25 is attained by forming a notch or slot 30 in the inner edgeof the lever close to the base of the arm 2l, the lever being adjustedwith the arm Z'I projecting under the ears and then pressed forwardlyuntil the ears seat in the slot, which is suitably rounded at its rootportion to alford a proper bearing on the ears. The lever is formed witha rearwardly extended portion 32, which is equivalent to a third arm,and this is formed with a notch 33 transversely therein at itsextremity, in which there is rested the outer transverse bar portion 34of a spring guide and plunger' 35, formed of sheet metal. This barportion 34 is of a size to fit closely enough between the walls 20 ofthe case to prevent the bar portion 34 from sliding laterally out of thenotch of the lever 26. The plunger 35 is extended in close parallelrelation slidably through an aperture 36 in the rear wall 3l of thecase. The aperture 36 is formed by stamping the metal inwardly toprovide a short sleeve 39. Seated around the sleeve 39 and engaged uponthe plunger 35 and resting against the bar 34, a helical spring 40 isconned, holding the plunger at all times pressed against the lever 26,so as to hold the latter in either of the two alternate positions. Bythis construction it will be seen that the spring is held spaced so as'to not contact the plunger 35, thereby reducing friction and aoldingfree sliding movement of the latter.

It will be noted that the notch 33v willmove with the lever to adistance on 'either'si'de'of "a line from the aperture 36 in the wall 31to the ears 25, so that the spring swings beyonddadcen-ter in movementof the lever 26 to eitherlimituand so will hold the lever yieldinglyin'eitlier position. Movement of the lever to released position islimited by engagement of the heel 38 with theiransrerse bar, Whileemol/@meet ,inthe opeositedirectin will beheked by engagement withthe`keeper l when the drawer is closed. 1t will be `,seen that the arm'28 does notcontact the ca se wall i?and that the spring 49 absorbs allshock vincident to`such movement of the catch.

Thelatch device being in normalY openposition, asshown in Figure l,`when l,the'drawer isk moved to ,closednpositiom the arm 28 will beretracted, and rwill clear the keeper l5, but the arm 21 will beprojected'so as to be engaged by the keeper I5, and when so engagedwillbe swung inward thereby, soa-s to cause arm 28 to swing rearward5 topresent the bight 2S over thegkeeper l5. The initial portion of thismovement will rbe-directly accomplished by pressure of the keeper l5against the arm 2l, but as soon as the springand plunger have passeddead center relation tothe lever 26, further movement'otthe lever willbeeffected by action of the spring 4E). engaged'with the keeper, thedrawer-will be held against accidental ,opening and hold* it until someforce is applied to the drawer sufficiently to overcome the pressure-ofthe spring 4l) and forcethe arm 28^upwardly so asto clear'the keeper l5,the arm '2 being moved downwardly so that it will' strike the keeper l5von' the next fullVT closing movement ofthe drawer.

Thev catch` and keeper have l'been described as applied'to'aA drawer and`cabinet structure,'-but it` shown'and4 described@ ldo not regard theinven-` tion'as limited to the exact construction-andar- With theY arm28 thusv 4 rangement, and various modifications thereof may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A new article of manufacture, a latch comprising an elongated metal casehaving an open end, consisting of parallel side walls, a front coverwall and a top wall, each of said side walls having a right Aangularlylextended flange, -e'ach flange beingprovided with a longitudinalslotfor reception of respective fastening means, said side vvwalls furtherhaving an inwardly struck ear ad- -jacentthe open lower end of the case,said top wall having'aninwardly directed open sleeve, a lever pivotallymounted on said ears, said lever llav-ihfg 'ashrt'arm normallyprojecting downwardly from theopen lower end of the case and aAlon'g'arm in'l'k'd relation thereto projected forwardly, the short armadapted to engage a keeper under closing movement of the latch, the longarm initially clearing lthefkeepe'r *butr engag'eabletherewith'uponmovement of the `shor-tarm by engagement ofthe latter with `the lkeeper, said lever -further having Ya notch'rearwardly of said long arm,a plunger engaged yin Aand :projecting through said sleeve, Ysaidplunger having aftransverse bar 'disposed within said notch, la7'helical spring onfsaid plunger, 'one rend of said fspring beingseatedaround said sleeve, andthe "other end thereof being-inbearingengagemeritwi-th said transversebar to holdthe lever 'yieldinglyfor movement in opposite fdirections, "an'd the cover vwall of said casestopping' shortofthe-extreme'forward position of the long arm of`-thelever to prevent contact betweenfthecoverwall andthe long arm, wherebysaid springabsorbs the shock incident to such movement of-'the catch.

FRED M.fJACOBSON.

' REFERENCES ATorr-"IED The following "references" are of record vin"the le of this patent:

NITEDSTATS PTENTS

